Between Worcester And Gloucester Is A Charming Town With Tasty Eateries, Markets, And Cotswolds Access

The Cotswolds are prototypical of England's picture-book countryside. Across 800 square miles you'll find rolling "wolds" (hills), cottages built from honey-hued stone, villages bisected by canals, and a sense of propriety and order at every turn. Around halfway between Gloucester (pronounced "Gloster") and Worcester (pronounced "Wooster") sits the region's northern gateway: the historic market town of Tewkesbury.

Tewkesbury, or Theocsbury, as it was originally called, has been an important settlement for centuries, built at the point where the Avon and Severn rivers meet. Its grand abbey dates to the early 1100s, when it was a residence for Benedictine monks. The town hosts a medieval festival in July, involving around 2,000 people reenacting a major battle from the 15th-century Wars of the Roses. The reenactment retells the history of the Yorks triumphing over the Lancasters and defeating their prince, Edward of Westminster, right here in the fields of Tewkesbury. Interestingly, this bloody war also inspired one of the central conflicts in George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series (adapted by HBO into "Game of Thrones") — the Yorks inspired the Starks; the Lancasters inspired the Lannisters. 

Today, the town's mix of labyrinthine alleyways and medieval, Tudor, and Georgian architecture shows the different faces of Tewkesbury as it progressed through the last millennium. There are also three market towns in Tewkesbury Borough (a borough is like a municipality in the U.S.), with stalls selling local produce, artisanal crafts, and textiles. And there are great restaurants in town, some serving English pub classics, others refined international cuisine. Tewkesbury can work as a day trip from Bristol, one of the world's best travel destinations in 2026. Road trippers could also include it as a stop near the quintessentially English Cotswold Way.

Tewkesbury has been popular with market traders for centuries, and it continues that tradition today with a twice-weekly market — Wednesday and Saturday — in Spring Gardens Car Park in the center of town. You'll find produce grown on nearby farms, secondhand clothing, art and souvenirs, quirky jewelry and accessories, and stalls serving freshly cooked food and snacks. Because traders can apply for stall space at the market, you may discover new gifts or curios on each visit.

Tewkesbury also hosts the Fine Food & Craft Market, on seven Sundays throughout the year, usually once a month from April through November. See the Visit Tewkesbury events page for dates. Other market towns in the borough are Winchcombe, an uncrowded town with peaceful gardens, and the village of Bishop's Cleeve, both a short drive away. Winchcombe has a country market and a farmer's market, each held monthly, while Bishop's Cleeve holds occasional art and craft markets in the Tithe Barn.

Beyond street food at the markets, there are great dining options around Tewkesbury town center. If you want classic country pub fare, book a table at the Nottingham Arms — its timbered interior is reminiscent of a medieval tavern. The pub classics menu includes fish and chips, steak and ale pie, and sausages and mash. On Sunday you can order a roast — beef, pork, chicken, or a stack of all three — served with Yorkshire puddings and other trimmings. Elsewhere, Tipo Sultan, a Bangladeshi-Indian fusion restaurant, is one of the top-rated in town, serving tandoori kebabs, curries, and thalis in a colorful (and decidedly gaudy) dining area. The Abbot's Table has also received lots of stellar reviews for its continental Europe-inspired menu, fusing French, Italian, and British flavors.

Having the Cotswolds on your doorstep is another great incentive to travel to Tewkesbury. This hilly region is one of the most seductive stretches of British countryside. It is also home to two Romantic Road driving routes, one southern, one northern, both looping the Cotswolds from Cheltenham, around 10 miles south of Tewkesbury. The routes guide you through pretty towns and villages built of Cotswold stone and showcasing the British penchant for curious place names: Upper Slaughter, Bourton-on-the-Water, Moreton-in-Marsh, Broughton Poggs, and The Camp.

The Cotswolds are associated with cozy cottages, fronted by neatly manicured gardens and hiding at the end of tree-shrouded lanes. If you're in the area, these are among the best places to stay. Little Nook Cottage in Winchcombe has 4.98 stars across 260 reviews on Airbnb. The property, which sleeps three guests, is beautifully designed, with exposed timber and a Cotswold stone fireplace matching the plush modern furnishings and neutral color palette. An equally handsome cottage is available in Moreton-in-Marsh. Designed in a similar fashion, pairing traditional ornamental touches with sleek, modern tones, it sleeps two and is handily located at the halfway point of the northern Romantic Road loop. This cottage also has an excellent score (4.95) on Airbnb.

The south coast might be home to Britain's best-known wine country, but wine drinkers will be glad to know the Cotswolds host some great vineyards, too, with grapes benefitting from the limestone-rich soil. The award-winning Woodchester Valley near Stroud offers tours and tastings at its vineyard; you can also try its wine at the nearby Woodchester Valley Cellar Door. Closer to Tewkesbury is Deer Park Wines' vineyard, where you can try its range of sparkling cuvées, as well as still Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.